LITTLE ROCK – Brian Cotten, director of construction management at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, was recently designated a certified healthcare facility manager by the American Hospital Association (AHA).

The national credential means that Cotten is “among the elite in a critical field of healthcare management,” according to the AHA. Requirements for the designation include work and experience as well as passing an examination that tests knowledge needed for a health care facility manager in the areas of compliance with industry codes and rules; planning, design and construction; maintenance and operations; finance; and administration.

Cotten joined UAMS as director of construction management in 2004, and is responsible for overseeing all planning, design, construction and renovation activity at UAMS.This includes ongoing construction of approximately $400 million in facilities, including a major hospital expansion, an expansion to the Arkansas Cancer Research Center (ACRC), the Psychiatric Research Institute, a residence hall, education building and a parking deck.

Before joining UAMS, Cotten served as director of plant operations at St. Joseph’s MercyHealthCenter in Hot Springs. His more than 20 years experience in construction and engineering includes a previous stint at UAMS, from 1990-1996, when he was assistant director and then associate director of the UAMS Physical Plant.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,435students and 715 medical residents. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 9,400employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ AreaHealthEducationCenters throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5billion a year. For more information, visit www.uams.edu.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a northwest Arkansas regional campus; a statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,021 students, 789 medical residents and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including about 1,000 physicians and other professionals who provide care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS regional centers throughout the state. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.